A Jolly Day in Dokapon Kingdom
by EmJK
Summary: What happened in the time that Princess Penny was kidnapped by Rico Jr? Something says that there's more than they're letting on...
1. Chapter 1

Princess Penny took a deep breath, looking around the Casino Cave, where she was being kept. The fog descended, filling the cavern with a gloomy and spooky aura, perfect for the scene. _It looks like we're in that underwater cove, doesn't it? That must be why the adventurers are taking so long._

She took a deep breath in, trying to compartmentalize. She had been taught from a young age what to expect if she was ever captured and held captive; however, being Dokapon Kingdom royalty, she never expected anything would happen. Hell, the worst moment in her life was when her _dog _got sick. _I don't even like my dog that much, _she thought to herself.

She swallowed, not succeeding in getting the parched feeling to leave her throat. "Rico Junior?" she tried, after a while, "I'm really thirsty; would you mind getting me some water?" _Build rapport, that's right; show him that you want to be friends._

All she received in answer was a grunt. She began to roll her eyes, but stopped the moment she saw him reappear. She let out a long gasp and glanced down at her feet.

_Had Rico Jr. always been so... handsome? _She asked herself, still a bit awestruck. Granted, her father didn't let her out of the castle much and her only real friends were Cash and Carlie, the hairdresser and her makeshift mother figure. Still, she hadn't known that this boy had been so attractive.

The last time she'd seen him, it had been before Overlord Rico (his father) had betrayed her father and gone to the dark side; something she felt anger over every day. Then again, maybe if it hadn't happened, Rico Jr. wouldn't have turned out so broody, mysterious, and jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

And she was a firm believer that everything happened for a reason.

She thanked him quietly for the glass of water he handed her, downing it in only a few sips before standing. "Why did you bring me here, Rico Jr.?"

He paused for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to talk to her. Finally, he conceded. "I-i wanted to get back at your father for what he did to mine," he lied quickly. He couldn't tell her the real reason behind her abduction; if he did, she would think he was crazy. Better to just pretend it was about money. Money and pride.

"Rico Jr, my father-"

"You can call me Ricky," he suggested.

She smiled internally. "Okay, then, Ricky, my father never meant to hurt you, and holding me here isn't going to help change that. Please, just let me go. I didn't do anything wrong."

"Your father is the reason that I have to walk the fields of Dokapon alone; sometimes even my Clonus won't talk to me. All I have is myself. How dare you say this isn't his fault!" Rico announced.

By now, Penny was pissed, all thought of Rico's appeal gone from her mind. "Your father got what he deserved! He wasn't fit for this world, and you know it! Where is he, anyways? You're off here with me playing the bad guy or whatever the hell you're doing to gain his attention, when he's off where? In the Underworld? Probably not even giving you a second thought-"

A sharp crack rang out as Rico slapped Penny clean across the face, his anger evolving. "You bitch!" He shrieked, "How can you say those things when you know that your father is an arrogant, greedy bastard who cares more about money than his own daughter? Have you asked him where your mother is lately?! She's not here because she fucking left your sorry ass to find someone better! So don't you DARE talk to me about fatherly ignorance." He finished, looking over to her with a smug. It was wiped off his face when he saw the tears silently streaming down her cheeks. He immediately chastised himself.

"Fuck, Penny, I'm so sorry; I didn't mean for that to slip out. I just- I have a lot of daddy issues, as I'm sure you can tell." He improvised. "You look cold," he mentioned, lightly settling to the floor beside her and resting his arm around her shaking shoulders. "The adventurers; they're coming soon," he muttered.

Whether it was a promise to her or a reminder to himself, she didn't know.


	2. Chapter 2

"Jesus Christ, how long is it gonna take them?" Penny mumbled to herself, pacing in circles around the small cave where Rico was holding her. They had been there for three weeks still without any word from her father, hairdresser, or adventurers. Most of all, she missed Cash.

"They'll get here eventually," Rico Jr. promised, though he knew he couldn't be certain of that fact. _Could the King really be that much of an asshole to abandon his daughter? I knew he was low, but not that low. _"We just have to wait it out."

"Can we please just go outside for one freaking minute? I haven't seen daylight in a month and I'm losing my mind," she complained. This wasn't entirely true; the King never let Penny outside of the castle on normal days, so she rarely saw daylight anyway. At least in the Kingdom they had fluorescent lighting. All she could see here was fog and musty, damp rocks.

Rico quickly weighed the options in his head. He really hadn't been planning on the adventurers taking this long; he could use some sunlight as well. A day or two, he could do, no problem. Three weeks? Not so much. Seeing Penny's pleading face, practically on the verge of tears, really only gave him one option.

"Alright, but there are some rules. First of all, don't stray off. Stay directly behind me or there will be consequences," he said. Although he would never admit it to her, this was more for her benefit than his. There were monsters out in the open that he wasn't sure he could protect Penny from; and it would absolutely kill him for her to be hurt on his watch. "Second, don't try in any way to alert the adventurers or your father or Karlie or anyone. Do what I say, when I say it. Do we understand each other?"

At that moment, Penny was so desperate to go outside that she probably would have agreed to anything. As it was, however, she quickly choked out a 'yes' and hurried behind him, eager to see the sky. She had never been to this part of the world before; she hadn't even known that Hallstatt existed until a month ago. She hadn't even ever realized there was a world outside the Kingdom. As she reflected on it, she wondered what else her father had kept from her these past sixteen years. _Could it be possible that what Rico said was true? That my father really did banish his father to Heck? _It seemed possible, but going against everything she had believed to be true for her entire life was making her head hurt. For now, she decided to banish the thought, thinking only of the day outside.

"Voila," Rico announced, as they stepped out into the day. They both shielded their eyes for a few minutes before they adjusted, and finally looked around.

"It looks the same as it did three weeks ago," the princess commented, "as in, exactly the same. I kind of assumed something would have changed."

Rico only shrugged. "Not much changes around here from day to day. Still, it is a lovely view," he pointed out. Penny agreed almost immediately, and soon they were lost in their separate worlds.

Penny laid down in the grass, looking around at the gorgeous meadows that surrounded her. The waves crashed in the distance, the only sound she could hear for miles. She opened her eyes. _That's strange, _she thought, _where did Rico go? He was just here a few minutes ago. _She lay back down, trying to shake off her feeling of unease. Finally, she decided the only logical course of action was to go look for him. After all, he had told her to follow him. He wouldn't want her to be left out in the open.

She began to walk in the opposite direction from the cave, veering around various obstacles and rocks, through trees and plains, when she realized that she was completely and hopelessly lost. "Rico?" she tried, not surprised when she heard no answer from him. Instead, a low voice growled from the other side of the meadow,

"Are you lost. sweetheart?"

Penny looked up and felt her heart drop from her chest.

Weber the Trickster was here, smiling his cruel smile, and glaring at her with the look he wore just before he ripped the wings off of butterflies.

"Let me show you some magic."


End file.
